Adoptive immunotherapy AI has been applied in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer NSCLC patients, but the value of postoperative AI has been inconclusive largely as a result of the small number of patients included in each study. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to address this issue for patients with postoperative NSCLC.

Compared with control therapies, analyses of 4 randomized controlled trials 472 patients showed a significant benefit of adoptive immunotherapy on survival hazard ratio HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.45–0.84, p = 0.002, and a 39% reduction in the relative risk of death no evidence of a difference between trials; p = 0.16, I² = 42%. In subgroup analyses by treatment cycles and treatment regimen, significant OS benefit was found in combination therapy of AI with chemotherapy, regardless of whether or not the treatment cycles were more than 10 cycles.

Conclusion

Adoptive immunotherapy has the potential to improve overall survival in postoperative NSCLC. The findings suggest this is a valid treatment option for these patients. Further randomized clinical trials are urgently needed.